Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

It is winter and hot chocolate season, but really is it ever a bad time for hot chocolate?

The flavors of rich chocolate and marshmallow go hand-in-hand and are a favorite of many. This cupcake recipe is quite extraordinary and I am obsessed with them.

So is Summer, my golden retriever. I ran to the grocery store while the cupcakes were cooling, in what I thought was a safe space. Guess I was wrong. I came home to 13 cupcakes missing from the wire rack. Thank goodness she saved enough for me to eat.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup very hot water

Frosting

• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 1 jar marshmallow fluff
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• mini marshmallows, for topping
• chocolate syrup, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Add all of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix using a stand mixer, until mostly combined. Add the hot water to the batter and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until combined. The batter will be very thin.
3. Fill cupcake liners only 1/2 full, then bake for 18-21 minutes, until the tops bounce back when you touch them. Cool completely.
4. For the frosting: Cream together the butter, marshmallow fluff, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
5. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Alternate the powdered sugar with the heavy cream until frosting is light and fluffy.
6. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with marshmallow bits and the chocolate syrup.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Whisk.

To the dry ingredients, add an egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.

Begin to mix the wet ingredients into the dry until mostly combined.

Slowly add some very hot water to the mixer until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Fill the liners only half full. *I chose to make some mini-sized ones too*

Bake the cupcakes for 18-21 or until the tops bounce back when you touch them. *mini size bake for 13-15 minutes*

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack, cool completely. *RIP to 13 of these babies, Summer decided to eat some off the wire rack*

Marshmallow buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add some butter, marshmallow fluff, vanilla extract, and salt. Cream until smooth, about one minute.

Gradually add in some powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Alternate the powdered sugar with heavy cream.

Cream the frosting until it is light and fluffy.

Pipe and spread frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

Garnish with mini marshmallow bits and chocolate syrup.

These are gorgeous!

Truly a cup of hot chocolate in cupcake form.